Drying tumbler



Nov. 24, 1925'.

F. M. WATKINS DRYING TUMBLER Original Filed Jan. 17. 1920 Patented Nov. 24, 1925. v

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OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

DRYING TUMIBLER.

Application filed January L7, 1920, Serial No. 352,238. Renewed April 20, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. WATKINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident'of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drying Tumblers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference -being had to the accompanying drawing,

forming part of this specification.

My invention relates primarily to a device for use in laundries where large quantities of clothes are washed and wherein it is required to thoroughly dry the clothes in the shortest possible time, at the same time subjecting the clothes to a thorough aerating, though it is capable of advantageous use for a variety of other purposesas will be readily apparent to those skilled 0 in the art to which my invention relates.

One object of my invention is to provide a screen in a machine of this character and to so arrange and locate this screen that it will collect all lint which may be removed 4 from the articles being operated upon, and to arrange this screen in such manner that when the machine is at rest, the lint which has been collected thereon will be automatically removed therefrom without requiring the removal of the screen itself.

Another object of my invention is to provide a reservoir or trap for the reception of the lint from the screen, and to provide this receptacle or trap with proper means whereby the lint may be readily removed therefrom.

-Another object of my invention is to provide such a machine with a suitable suction or vacuum producing fan, and to so arrange and mount the fan that it may be readily dismounted from the machine.

Another object of my invention is the provision of means whereby the moistureladen-air is automatically conducted away from the machine.

Other objects of my invention will appear and be described throughout the specification.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is a front elevation of the machine.

verably formed of a heavy wire mes Fig. 3 is a sectional rear elevation of the machine taken approximately on the dotted line 33 of Fig. 1 the heating coilbeing.

removed.

The same numerals of reference are usedto indicate identical parts in all the figures. The general arrangement of the machine which I have illustrated is similar to machines now in use and comprises a frame 1 within which a cylinder 2 is mounted, the outside surface of the cylinder being refshown in Fig. 3 where a small portion of the cylinder appears near the bottom of the ing and unloading door 4 by means of which 7 the contents may be introduced or removed.

The frame 1 is provided with a door 5 by means of which access is gained to the door 4.

The rear portion of the frame 1 is provided with a coil chamber 6 within which a suitable heating coil 7 is mounted.

The suction or vacuum producing fan 8 is mounted above the coil 7 and is enclosed in an eccentric case 9, the discharge fromv the fan 8 being conducted into the coil chamber 6, from the lower portion of which the air is drawn thru the opening 10 and thence thru the cylinder 2, and thru the contents therein, to the passage 11 which leads to the lint screen 12, from which the air is drawn to the suction opening of the fan 8 which thus completes-the circuit.

In order to remove the greater quantity of the moist air from the machine a skimming I chamber 13 is provided, this chamber being arranged preferably at the upper portion of the eccentric case 9 with its opening facing the direction of movement of air within the case and in position to receive the heavier and moist air and convey it to the discharge pipe 14.

To supply air to the machine a series of screened air inlets 15 are provided and arranged as shown in Fig. 1.

To ermit the easy removal of the fan 8* from t e machine, the end walls of the housing 9 and the end walls of the frame 1 are slotted as shown at 16, the fan shaft 17 betrolled.

The cylinder 2 is preferably rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow 21 of Fig. l and a suitable driving mechanism 22 Fig. 2 is provided for this purpose.

A brake 23 is provided and adapted to engage part of the driving mechanism 22 to hold the cylinder 2 in proper position when the door 4 is opened for loading and unloading the machine.

A door 24 is provided to give access to the screen chamber so that the screen 12 may be removed from the machine should occasion require.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 1 that the screen 12 is so arran ed that the air, in passing thru it, passes from the under side of the screen and in. so doing, the lint which may be carried b the air isde'posited on the under side of t e screen and it will be a parent that when the operation of the mac ine has been sto ped, the lint which has been collected on tile screen 12 will drop therefrom and into the lint trap 25 from which it may be removed thru clean-out doors 26, the trap 25 being so arranged that all of the lint drops thereinto, and partly conforms to the circulaz chamber within which the cylinder 2 is mounted.

If desired a grid 27 may be mounted immediately below the screen 12 and may be arranged to be automatically operated by the opening of the door 5, thru t e medium of a connecting rod 28, crank arm 29, and finger 30, the latter projecting thru the front of the frame 1 tosuch a position that when the door 5 is opened it will strike the finger 30 and thereby move the grid 27 and positively remove an lint which may be adhering to the un ersurface of the screen 12.

A spring 31' may be employed to return the grid 27 to its proper position after each operation.

The course of the air thru the machine is indicated by arrows and from these indications it will, be seen that the machine ofiierates on the up draft principle and that t e contents are artly held in suspension during the operatlon of the machine by the upward movement of the air currents, the result being that a thorough aeration and all lint results.

Having thus fully 'described my invention, I claim: a

1. In a machine the combination of a goods containing element, a lint screen posit ioned to collect lint on the underface there of, a lint receptacle under said screen, and means for removing lint from said screen.

2. In a machine the combination of a centrifugal air movingelement, a goods containing element, a lint screen, and a moisture-laden-air skimmer adjacent said centrifugal air moving element.

3. In a machine the combination of a centrifugal air moving element, a moistureladen-air skimmer adjacent thereto, a goods containing element thru which the air handled by said centrifugal air moving element is drawn, and a lint screen positioned to collect lint on its undersurface.

4. In a machine the combination of a centrifugal air -moving element, a moistureladen-air skimmer adjacent thereto, a goods containing element through which the air handled by said centrifugal air moving element is drawn, a lint screen positioned to collect lint on its under-surface, and a lint receptacle below said screen.

5. In a machine the combination of a centrifugal air moving. element, a moistureladen-air skimmer adjacent thereto, a goods containing element, through which the air handled by said centrifugal air moving element is drawn, a lint screen positioned to collect lint on its undersurface, a lint receptacle below said screen, and means for removing lint from said screen.

- e. In a machine the combination of a goods container, 2. lint screen adjacent said container, afan housing adjacent said screen and provided with a door thru which a fan may be removed, a fan supportin portion rovided with slotted openings, an removab e fan support covering said slotted opening.

7. In a machine the combination of a fan, a housing for said fan wardly extending slotte :o nings, a drive shaft for said fan, removab e bearing lates' rovided with rear- 9. In an up-draft tumbler the combination of a goods containing element, an 'air moving element for causing a circulation of.

air within the machine, the circulation being upward throu h the goods containing element, means or removing moistureladen-air from the machine, and a lint screen in the air outlet passage for removing lint from the moving air.

10. In an lip-draft tumbler the combination of a goods containing element, an air moving element for causing a circulation of air within the, machine, and upward through the goods containing element, means for removing moisture-laden-air from the machine, a lint screen in the air outlet passage from the goods containing element, and a lint receptacle below said. screen.

11. In an up-draft tumbler the combination of a goods containing element, an air moving element for causing a circulation of air within the machine, means for removing moisture-laden-air from the machine, a lint screen in the air outlet passage from the goods containingelement, a lint receptacle below said screen, and means co-operating with said screen for removing the deposit of lint therefrom.

12. In an up-draft tumbler the combination of a goods containing element, an air moving element for causing a circulation of air within the machine, means for removing moisture-laden-air from the machine, a lint screen in the air outlet passage from the n FRANK M. WATKINS. 

